[JasonCSU]

Originally Posted by lennyf

Current Tacomas are SHIT !!!!
Still have drum brakes in the rear and Camry engine & tranny. (NO THANKS)
But people still buy them.

I wish Honda would build an Off Road Ridgeline.

Tacomas do have their drawbacks, but for the most part they are reliable and hold their value; that's why people buy them. I absolutely agree on the drum brakes. The 3.5 engine in the 3rd gen has its quirks but has been working well for me. I bought mine with the 6MT so I wouldn't have the issues others have experienced with the automatic.

When I was shopping, I also drove the Colorado Z71, and the only thing I liked better about it was the power delivery. If the ZR2 and JL Wrangler/Gladiator were available at the time, I may have ended up with something different.

[allinon72]

Like the Ranger, but too expensive. Ford said it wouldn't be the global Ranger and it basically is with a few tweaks. At the current asking price, it must be quite the cash cow.

[gonzo]

For looks and price, 3 - 4k off easily, I'd look at the new Colorado RST.
If you're not looking to crawl or jump that is.

Thinking of an extended cab in white with black step bar. 39 and change list and reached 35 and change with tint.
The Bose isn't half bad.

They look sort of naked without a bar or steps imo.

Good luck.

[JasonCSU]

Originally Posted by Joe240

Manual seats don’t bother me if I was the only one using it. But since my wife and I would rotate vehicles, it was a bit more of a hassle. While the zr2 has power seats, it was also a pain having to find my driving position again when we’d let my brother in Law drive it for driving practice (he’s 19 now, was 17 at the time. Still 6’3” and 300+ lbs at the time). I don’t see why Chevy, or any of the other manufactures who use power seats, can’t use memory seats like luxury brands do. It’s MAYBE an additional $100 cost to a vehicle, but for my situation I would have paid $250 for the option to be included if offered.

I agree, when there are multiple drivers, memory seats are key. I am kind of surprised there are power seats without that feature.

[GenXer]

For the price of a Ford Ranger or Chevy Colorado, why not get get a full size pick-up truck? Similar fuel economy, more towing and hauling capacity, more interior room, more comfort, better resale value. I hear a turbo V6 F150 is fantastic. The body is even all aluminum.

[Humdizzle]

just wondering what you guys use pickups for

do you haul stuff on a very regular basis? I always thought it would be cheaper to rent a pickup from enterprise for towing a car to meets, or getting furniture every now and then.

seems like most of the time my friends with pickups are being asked to help other people move stuff which would getting annoying fast.

[Joe240]

Originally Posted by Humdizzle

just wondering what you guys use pickups for

do you haul stuff on a very regular basis? I always thought it would be cheaper to rent a pickup from enterprise for towing a car to meets, or getting furniture every now and then.

seems like most of the time my friends with pickups are being asked to help other people move stuff which would getting annoying fast.

That’s why you tell friends “No.” it’s very simple. And when we moved into our new house, we started a lot of projects within the first year. Tile, bricks, mulch, mortar, Husky steel shelves, etc. got a ton of use hauling and towing stuff with my truck. Plus I would off road, trail ride about once or twice a month for 3-5 hours with friends. Light trails and even towing my X3 can do, but sandy trails it can’t (welcome to Florida) and while it can haul stuff, it’s not as easy as taking a hose to the bed and spraying it out. Plus towing 6k lbs of tile for an hour I wouldn’t expect any BMW SUV to do with relative poise. Even though the zr2 is rated at 5k towing, it did fine (actually had lower trans temps surprisingly) towing the extra weight and it wasn’t overly loaded on the back. Truck sat level and handled great. Put 700lb tongue weight and 6k lbs of tile on an X3 and the nose goes right to the sky.

Sure it may be cheaper to rent a truck from (definitely not enterprise) Home Depot or uhaul, but then it’s the hassle of having the whole rental process, and if you’re like me, the nearest Home Depot is 45 minutes away. Now I have to deliver my tile, unload it by hand because I don’t have a fork lift at my house, and then drive back to Home Depot, refuel before returning as well, then drive back home. What could’ve taken me 3-4 hours total now took me 6 hours. Sure you could pay Home Depot $100 and they’ll deliver the tile with a forklift, but my house is on a hill and the driveway is relatively steep so a forklift won’t go up it with weight (safely at least). Oh and I bought my tile from a tile store, not Home Depot. They only did delivery if we had them install because the installers would bring the tile. So I had no choice but to pick it up. Oh and being on the coast of Florida, when it rains, it floods. Being a little higher up in a truck is nice, not to mention a tad safer if someone slides into you, or you into them.

So yes, it’s cheaper in the long run, but it’s definitely not more convenient.

[GenXer]

I use mine to haul garden supplies, dirt, mulch, trees and landscaping stuff for my house. I also use it to tow a 7000 pound camping trailer. It's made for on and off road which is pretty much everywhere around here. It's even has Apple Carplay built in along with an enormous navigation screen. It's big and comfortable too. I would take it on a long road trip before I take the BMW. I'll even let my friend borrow it, but I won't help them move. But, most of the time it's an expensive driveway ornament.

[Soterios]

Originally Posted by Humdizzle

just wondering what you guys use pickups for

do you haul stuff on a very regular basis? I always thought it would be cheaper to rent a pickup from enterprise for towing a car to meets, or getting furniture every now and then.

seems like most of the time my friends with pickups are being asked to help other people move stuff which would getting annoying fast.

That's why I bought the Ridgeline. I use it as a big comfy SUV most of the time. A few times a month it's an actual truck for me. As for truck help, it probably happens once a month, maybe. Not usually a big deal. I can always say no. It hauled my friends new engine last month.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by GenXer

For the price of a Ford Ranger or Chevy Colorado, why not get get a full size pick-up truck? Similar fuel economy, more towing and hauling capacity, more interior room, more comfort, better resale value. I hear a turbo V6 F150 is fantastic. The body is even all aluminum.

I've had 3 pickup trucks since 1987. First was a 1987 Ford Ranger STX. Great truck. It was a regular cab with a 7-foot bed. V6. Sport seats. Took it off road a lot and it did great helping rebuild my first house. Back in the late 1980's small pickup trucks were all the rage.

My second truck was a 1999 full-sized F150. Regular cab and full 8-foot bed. I used it to rebuild the house I am in now. Great for hauling flat 4x8 product, and getting a shit load of gravel up into the back yard. But I did that kind of stuff very little. And some of the larger projects, I just had all the lumber delivered at once for $25. The build quality of the late 1990's F150's sucked IMO.

I now have a mid-sized truck again. This time it's a crew cab with just a 5-foot box. I mainly keep the rear seats flat for the dogs to ride inside with me, or groceries . I mainly use this truck to haul crap to the dump and occasionally get yard supplies. I did just pick up a new casement window for the guest house I built 20 years ago (with the F150 - hauled all the lumber for it) and the window box nicely laid flat between the wheel wells. For a while I had both the F150 and my current truck at the same time, and usually took the smaller one. I have to say, between all 3 trucks, looking back, I never really liked the Full-sized F150 and have never really missed it since I got rid of it about 6 years ago. Other than easily hauling 4x8 sheet with a closed tailgate, there is no advantage to a full sized bed for the average homeowner.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by Soterios

That's why I bought the Ridgeline. I use it as a big comfy SUV most of the time. A few times a month it's an actual truck for me. As for truck help, it probably happens once a month, maybe. Not usually a big deal. I can always say no. It hauled my friends new engine last month.

I think the Ridgeline is a great concept for the average homeowner.

[Soterios]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

I think the Ridgeline is a great concept for the average homeowner.

And I think a lot of people are realizing that. It's selling really well for Honda. It's why SUVs are just tall cars now instead of closed trucks. It's probably why JEEP sacrifices more 'offroad' capability each update as well. Mall Crawlers are the reality.

[spazzyfry123]

I keep looking at the Gladiator... Don't think the wife would want to trade in her Grand Cherokee, though.

[allinon72]

The Ridgeline is functional, but so was the Pontiac Aztek. I could never deal with the looks.

[hellrotm]

Originally Posted by spazzyfry123

I keep looking at the Gladiator... Don't think the wife would want to trade in her Grand Cherokee, though.

Leases are dirt cheap. Residual for 24months I believe is 87% for Sport.

[GenXer]

The Ridgeline is a Honda Accord with a large trunk. I'm certain it's not meant for hauling 7000+ pound camper and it's definitely not an off-road vehicle. A full size truck is not practical or useful in big cities or well paved roads. However, for horrible roads in Michigan and various rural county roads in Ohio, there's nothing better.

[spazzyfry123]

Originally Posted by hellrotm

Leases are dirt cheap. Residual for 24months I believe is 87% for Sport.

I heard they stopped advertising that?